Teaching Tips

• A Compendium of Teaching Tips
• Stimulating Classroom Discussion
• Teaching Large Classes
• Building a Supportive Classroom Environment: The First Day

The Syllabus

A syllabus is basically a contract between a student, or a set of students, and a faculty member.  The syllabus may include the following (Fink 2003):

• General management information—the teacher’s name, office hours, phone, e-mail address, etc.
• Goals for the course
• Structure and sequence of class activities including due dates for major assignments, tests, and projects
• Text and other required reading material
• Grading procedures
• Course policies: attendance, late homework, make-up exams, penalties for academic misconduct, etc.

Different schools and departments may have additional requirements to be included in the syllabus. Please check with your department to see what, if any, are the requirements for your courses.

Another noteworthy discussion of the syllabus can be found in Peer Review of Teaching: A Sourcebook, Second Edition (Chism, 2007).

References:
Chism, Nancy Van Note. (2007). Peer Review of Teaching: A Sourcebook (2nd ed.).  Bolton, MA: Anker.
Fink, L. Dee. (2003). Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Assignments

Course assignments will vary from discipline to discipline and class to class. However, it behooves the faculty member to consider the following with all assignments:

• Goals or aims of the assignment clearly outlined for the instructor; for example, do you know what you want from the assignment?
• Goals or aims of the assignment clearly outlined to the student; for example, is it clear to the student what you want from the assignment?
• Rubric for grading the assignment given to the student; for example, what do you expect in specific terms and how will those expectations be assessed?
• Weight of the assignment in a final grade given to the student; for example, is this an assignment that will not be graded?
• Use of technology in completing the assignment; for example, do you allow internet help?
• Use or value of a reading assignment; for example, will this be discussed in class; does a student have to do it or is it only for reference?
• Examples of the assignment; for example, is there a sample of the type of assignment that students can see?
• Format for the assignment: for example, is there a specific format in which the assignment must be delivered to you?

Writing is frequently required for students to produce assignments. Have you been very clear about the specific assignment and have you given the assignment in such a way that a student cannot simply go to an internet site and download a paper?  How will the writing be graded?  Do you have a rubric for grading?

Copyrights

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